Electronic tether system and method with rate of change detection and vhicle braking features

ABSTRACT

A dynamically controlled retractable tether provides a mechanism by which a pet can be safely exercised on a bicycle or other vehicle. The pet avoids injury when running in front of the bicycle and stopping short, by having a detector detect the relative motion of the pet and the bicycle so as to automatically apply brakes to the bicycle prior to the pet being injured. Variations include a zone detection mechanism that detects a relative position of the pet relative to the bicycle, and uses a different set of braking parameters, depending on the zone in which the pet is located.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to systems, methods and computerprogram product for detecting, monitoring and changing an observedrelative motion between a person on a wheeled, moving vehicle and a petthat is tethered to the moving vehicle.

2. Discussion of the Background

Some dogs are more trainable than others. While some dogs may readilytake to jogging next to his or her master's side, other dogs do not stayon the master's heel when jogging. The problem is even worse if the dogneeds more exercise than a mere walk with the master. Celebrities suchas Ceasar Milan, host of the TV show “The Dog Whisperer” stronglyencourage walking or running with a dog to promote good social habitsfor the dog and also keep the dog healthy. For particularly active dogsthat need a lot of exercise, Ceaser Milan wears in-line skates whichenables the dog to run ahead of the master and pull the master behindhim. Not everyone is skillful with in-line skates, especially when beingpulled by a dog. It is possible to ride a bicycle while holding a dogleash, but a bicycle is a substantial machine and could possibly causeinjury to an untrained dog (or person) if the master is not quick enoughto avoid rapid change of pace by the dog.

Moreover, holding the leash of an untrained dog while riding a bicycleor wearing in-lines skates can be perilous for the dog and the masteralike. The dog may not closely follow the bicycle and abruptly changehis direction, causing the leash to be yanked and the master to lose hisbalance and possibly give rise to an accident.

While is it possible to use mechanical methods such as a physicalbarrier (like a “cow catcher” on old steam trains) to prevent the dogfrom being run-over, such barriers themselves would need to be large,and would not necessarily prevent the dog from being injured when thedog stops or changes course abruptly.

As recognized by the present inventor, if the dog is running in front ofthe bicycle, and the dog stops short, unless the master immediatelyapplies the brakes, there is a risk that the bicycle will run over thedog. As such, some positions of the dog relative to the moving directionof the master are more dangerous than others. While the physical barriercould be more substantial in the more dangerous areas, such as directlyin front of the bicycle's front wheel, it nevertheless might beinsufficient for large dogs, and too forceful on smaller dogs.

Some dog leashes have an ability to pay-out and also self retractdepending on how much tension the dog exerts on the leash. However theleash has a finite length and thus even when the dog reaches the end ofthe leash, the dog may impart a large abrupt tug on the leash which maycause the master to lose her grip or balance. These dog leashes have abuilt in lock, which converts the adjustable length leash to a fixedlength leash. Such leashes also have locking mechanism that is actuatedby the master's thumb depressing a button. Modulating a downwardpressure on the button can cause a breaking force on the dog, but it hasno effect on the bicycle or skates that the master may be using.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention was made in light of the above limitations withconventional systems and methods as recognized by the present inventor.One aspect of the present invention, is a tether system that detects arelative distance from the pet to the bicycle, and if the relativemotion for that particular distance indicates that the bicycle isquickly approaching the pet, automatically applies a braking system toslow the bicycle, thus averting injury to the pet.

One aspect of the system is that it detects a length to which the tetherhas been paid out, which approximates the radial distance of the pet tothe bicycle. However, the system also monitors a rate at which thetether is paying-out or self-retracting to determine whether the risk isgreat for the bicycle to hit the pet, or the bicycle impart a severe tugon the pet.

Another feature is a mechanism that determines an azimuth position ofthe pet relative to the bicycle, such that the system is aware of theposition of the pet in different zones about the bicycle. Moreover, thesystem tracks whether the pet is in front of the bicycle or next to it,and applies a different set of braking forces on the bicycle's brakesdepending on which zone the pet is located at any given instant. Beingable to determine the relative position of the pet to the bicycle,allows for the processor to apply a different set of rules for applyingthe brakes so as to protect the pet.

These and other features of the present invention will be more readilyunderstood from the following detailed description and appended claims.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical positional relationship between a bicycle,a tethered pet, and a puppy electronic tether system (PETS) according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an electronic portion of the PETS, incooperation with a tether and retractable spool according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of PETS, which detects a pet position inmultiple azimuthal zones;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a slide and rail used in determining whichazimuthal zone the pet is located relative to the bicycle;

FIG. 5 is an alternative embodiment for a mechanism for determining petposition;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an embodiment showing a detachable, portableversion of PETS;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an electronics portion of componentsused in an embodiments of PETS;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an electronics portion for an automaticallycontrolled vehicle braking mechanism according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process flow according to an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary data structure of a lookup table used forstoring brake control data according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11 is a distance/rate diagram showing how brake control data isdifferentiated in a memory look up table for braking forcesautomatically applied for the pet being a given distance from thebicycle and observed payout/retract rate;

FIG. 12 is a diagram similar to FIG. 11, but for when the pet is next tothe bicycle, not in front of the bicycle;

FIG. 13 is another diagram similar to FIGS. 11 and 12 but used when thepet is detected to be behind the bicycle;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an electronics portionused for controlling the system according to the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment that employs a hingedoutlet with multiple contacts for detecting an azimuthal position of atethered pet relative to a spool outlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a bicycle 1 that includes at a front portion thereof aPuppy Electronic Tether System (PETS) 2. The PETS 2 uses a tether thatattaches to dog's collar or harness. While the present embodimentdescribes use of PETS with respect to a dog, PETS is not so limited andmay be used with other humans or animals that move along side a vehicle.In the present embodiments, the exemplary vehicle used to describe anoperation of PETS is a bicycle, the invention is no so limited and maybe equally valuable when used with a tricycle, motorized vehicle (suchas a SEGWAY), or even in-line skates or other man-made devices employedby humans to ease translatory movement.

In normal operation, a person riding the bicycle tethers her dog to aPETS mounted on the bicycle so that the dog remains tethered to thebicycle during an exercise session. In many situations, the dog may wishto run in front of, or even pull, the bicycle and when doing so, aretractable spool in the PETS pays-out the tether so the dog may runfurther ahead of the bicycle. If however the dog slows down relative tothe bicycle, PETS detects the dog's distance from the bicycle and therate of change of speed of the dog relative to the bicycle. If the dogis in danger of being run over by the bicycle, PETS automaticallyapplies the brakes on the bicycle by a predetermined amount, dependingon the distance and rate of change of distance, and in some casesazimuthal position of the dog relative to the bicycle. Moreover, if thedog is slowly approaching the bicycle, there is not a sense of urgencyand the bicyclist can maintain control of the bicycle without fear ofrunning over the dog, and therefore PETS does not apply the brakes.However if the dog rapidly slows down, and the dog is detected as beingin front of the bicycle, PETS applies the brakes to a first setting, soas to slow the rate that the bicycle approaches the dog. If the dog veryrapidly slows down or even stops, PETS will apply a greater force to thebrakes to reduce the risk of running over the dog.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the present embodiment of PETS. A tether 3is wound around a retractable spool 5, such that when the tether isfully retracted, the spool 5, which is biased to retract the tether whena pulling force is absent, has the tether wrapped around it fully. Onthe other hand, when the dog is attached to a free end of the tether 3and the dog pulls on the tether, the retractable spool 5 pays out thetether 3 so that the dog may move away from the PETS 2. PETS 2 iscontained in a housing 16 and the tether 3 pays in and out of an outlet.In the present embodiment the outlet may simply be an opening in thehousing.

In other embodiments to be discussed later, the outlet rotates dependingon a lateral force exerted by the dog.

The outlet is large enough to allow for counting indicators 9 to easilypass through the outlet. The counting indicators 9 are metallic bumpsspaced apart on the substrate portion of the tether at a predeterminedpitch X, such as one inch for example. While the present embodiment usesmetallic bumps, other counting indicators may also be used, such asoptical marks (dark spots or light spots for example), or depressions inthe substrate. As an alternative to using counting indicators 9, therotation of the hub on the retractable spool 5 may be monitored todetermine the rate of rotation over a period of time to determine theamount by which the tether pays out. A processor keeps track of anamount that the tether is paid-out or released, and accounts for a rateof rotation variation to provide for a constant pay-out rate.Alternatively, an optical sensor located next to the hub observes anamount of tether is retained on the spool. By observing the amount oftether on the spool, the processor can readily determine the amount oftether that is deployed, thus providing an indication of how far the dogis from the bicycle.

In the present embodiment, the counting indicators 9 contact a biasedcontact arm 11 and when the metallic bumps move past the biased contactarm 11, the biased contact arm 11 makes contact with the countingindicator. The biased contact arm 11 contains a pivot, by which aresilient element 12 such as a spring, urges the biased contact arm 11in an upward direction, in the present embodiment. The actuation andmovement of the biased contact arm may operate in a variety of othermanners consistent with the present teachings, such as being biased in adownward direction, sideways direction, or otherwise. As an alternative,the biased contact arm 11 may be replaced by an electrical probe thatperforms a resistance or capacitance check, either of which can be usedto detect a presence of the metallic bumps as the metallic bumps passacross the biased contact arm. In either case, the number of countingindicators 9 that have passed by the electronic probe are constantlycounted so as to determine the amount of pay out of the tether 3.Because the tether self-retracts as well, the counting is performed in apositive direction when paying out and a negative direction whenretracting.

In the present embodiment, as the tether 3 pays out, or is retracted,the biased contact arm 11 makes contact at an opposite end with acontact 15, which in turn is connected to an electronic counter 17.Moreover, the contact 15 is metallic and allows for resistance orcapacitance sensing so that each time the biased contact arm 11 makescontact with a counting indicator a cumulative count is incremented ordecremented. In the present embodiment, the direction of count (positiveor negative) is determined by the rotation direction of the hub on theretractable spool 5. Moreover, the rotation direction of the retractablespool 5 is detected by a detector (such as a torque meter) and an outputfrom that detector is provided to the counter 17. Alternatively, amechanical switch may be used to determine the mode. Moreover, theswitch is in a first state when the tether moves against the switch'spole in one direction, but flips to the other state when the directionof tether movement changes. As an example, when the tether 3 is pulledby the dog, the spool will rotate in a clockwise direction, indicatingto the counter 17 that the count should increase. On the other hand,when the tether 3 is retracting, the indicator on the retractable spool5 sends a different signal to the counter 17 indicating to the counter17 that the count should count in a negative direction. This way, theamount by which the tether 3 is paid-out or reeled-in, is accuratelycounted by the counter 17.

A processor 19 is connected to the counter 17, and keeps track of thecumulative count value, as well as the rate of change of the value heldby the counter 17. In this way the processor 19 can determine the lengthof distance that the tether 3 is deployed, as well as the rate of changeof the dog moving toward or away from the outlet in the PETS housing 16.The processor 19, as well as other electronics in the PETS 2, isprovided with a battery 21 that may be either rechargeable, or activelypowered by a generator on the bicycle wheel. A memory device 20 hasstored therein a lookup table, that is referenced by the processor 19 todetermine the amount of braking force to be applied to the brakes on thebicycle, depending on the distance that the tether's deployed distance,and the rate of change of the distance from the dog to the bicycle atany given instant.

FIG. 3 shows the bicycle 1 having the PETS 2 cooperate with a rail 25mounted to the bicycle so as to provide another input to the PETS 2regarding a position of the dog in one of several azimuthal zones aroundthe bicycle. The processor 19 (FIG. 2), after consulting the appropriatestored value depending on the distance/rate of change conditions willapply different braking forces depending on the zone that the dog islocated, relative to the bicycle. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, thezone 1 is an area in front of the bicycle, while zone 2 is an area onone side of the bicycle, while zone 3 is an area behind the bicycle. Therail 25 is conductive and mounted to the bicycle. The rail 25 permits aseparate metallic slide 27 (see FIG. 4) to slide along the rail (intozone 1, 2, or 3) as urged by the dog's lateral force applied to thetether. The slide 27 is used to provide a location indication to thePETS 2 by permitting an observed difference in conductivity of the rail25 in zones 1, 2 and 3. In particular, rail 25 is coated with materialshaving different conductivities in zones 1, 2 and 3. In particular, zone1 will contain a coating on rail 25 that has a larger resistivity thanthat of zone 2, which in turn has a larger resistivity than that of zone3. Thus when a small voltage source is applied to the rails, a currentis passed through the rail 25 to the metallic slide 27 and through aconductive thread in the tether to the dog. The level of current dependson the resistivity of the region of the rail 25 on which the slide 27 ispresently positioned. As an alternative to current flow, a voltage dropor measured resistance may also be used as an alternative to detect theposition of the slide 27 in one of zones 1, 2 and 3. Furthermore, when alarge breaking force is automatically applied by PETS 2 to the bicyclebrakes, PETS 2 may optionally (under user control) also temporarilyproduce a larger temporary current that is sent to electrodes on thedog's collar as active feedback to the dog that his abrupt change inspeed is not welcomed during the bike riding exercise. The level ofcurrent flow can optionally be set to correspond with the amount ofbraking force applied to the bicycle's brakes. A greater shock is givenfor a greater amount of braking force applied. As further activefeedback, and audible alarm may also be sounded when the brakes areautomatically applied. The tone or audible power level may be set todistinct values, to match the amount of force being applied to thebrakes. The audible alarm may be applied a predetermined amount beforethe shock stimulus is applied to the dog, so the dog has the opportunityto react to the audible alarm before being shocked. However, if the dogdoes not promptly alter his behavior once the alarm is given, the dogwill subsequently receive negative feedback in the form of an electricshock.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rail may either be a single unit ordifferential rail 26. In the case of a double rail, a differential slide28 would have a function of detecting a current flow between the firstrail and the second rail where a voltage source 29 is applied at one endof each of the rails. Depending on the position of the differentialslide 28 on the differential rail 26, a position of the pet in one ofzones 1, 2 or 3 may be detected by observing the voltage drop betweenthe differential rail 26 or by directly measuring current ordifferential resistance between the two rails.

FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment where the PETS 2 has a housing 16that is made to be portable. The housing 16 has a handle 100 that theuser may hold when detaching the PETS 2 from the bicycle. Moreover, thePETS 2 connects at a connector 101 to a clip 103 which in turn connectsthe metallic cable 37 to battery 21 (FIG. 2). The battery 1 providespower via the metallic cable in the PETS 2 for recharging the portablebattery contained in the PETS 2. A mode switch 116 is user selectable toselect between a mounted mode of operation and a walking mode ofoperation. In the walking mode of operation the electronics are turnedoff such that there is no need to monitor the position of the dogrelative to the bicycle since the PETS 2 has been detached from thebicycle.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an electronics portion contained in thePETS 2 with a rechargeable battery 44 and gearedcoupler/transducer/speed sensor 46 which couples to one of the wheels onthe bicycle. In particular, the geared coupler/generator/speed sensor 46is detachably contacted to the wheel such that the motion of the wheelimparts a force on the geared coupler/generator/speed sensor 46 so as toproduce an electrical current which is in turn provided to therechargeable battery 44. The rotation rate of the wheel is directlyimparted to the geared coupler/generator/speed sensor 46 so the speed ofthe bicycle may be determined. Processor 45 connects via a bus to thecounter 17, previously discussed with respect to FIG. 2. CPU 45retrieves values from the lookup table regarding zone values in theflash memory 20. Thus, depending on the detected position of the dog asdetermined via the rails in FIGS. 3-5, the lookup table provides theprocessor 45 with information regarding the braking force that theprocessor should apply to the brake mechanisms on the bicycle. Awireless transmitter receiver 41 also connects to the bus 4 bothproviding information regarding the present state of the PETS 2including data such as distance from bicycle (tether length paid out)and relative speed between the end of the tether and the PETS 2. Thetransmitter/receiver 41 can transmit this information to a remote devicethat in turn may monitor the braking operation such that a wirelesssignal may be sent to the brake mechanism (discussed below with regardto FIG. 8). The wireless feature is particularly suitable for use with aPETS system used with inline skates having a controllable breakingsystem. External input such as a wireless counter 17 may transmit viaBluetooth or other short range wireless communication system to thetransmitter/receiver 41 for providing data regarding the count value atany given instant to the CPU 45.

An audio alarm 42 is provided to provide an audible alert (discussedabove) should the brakes be applied automatically by the processor 45.This audible alarm would alert the user and dog that the brakes areautomatically being applied. The audible alarm may also be used to helptrain the dog to avoid the erratic behavior that caused the alarm. Inthe training mode of operation, an electrical current may be passedthrough a conductive element in the tether to have an electricalshocking sensation to the dog, thus reinforcing the notion that the dogshould avoid such erratic behavior in the future.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the electronics contained on the brakingportion of the bicycle system. Motor housing 47 contains a rear wheelstepper motor 53 that drives a brake caliper for the rear wheel 49.Likewise a front wheel stepper motor 55 provides the torque for openingor closing the front wheel brake caliper 51 depending on signals sentfrom the processor 45. In operation, if the processor 45 determines thatthe brakes are to be applied by a first level, signals are sent to therear wheel stepper motor 53 and front wheel stepper motor 55, whichdrives the stepper motors by a predetermined amount thus causing thebrake calipers to apply a predetermined force to the rear wheels andfront wheels respectively. The stepper motors 53 and 55 may eitherreceive the signals directly via a bus or through IO 43, or evenwirelessly by the transmitter/receiver 41. Memory 20 provides the lookuptable values for the processor 45 regarding the amount of steps thatshould be applied to the respective stepper motors to achieve thedesired braking force. Power is provided by the rechargeable battery 44which may be recharged by the geared coupler/generator/speed sensor 46or from an AC/DC converter.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for a method performed according to the presentinvention. The process is controlled by a processor which begins in stepS1 with checking a value of the counter. The process then proceeds tostep S3 where the value of the azimuthal zone (zone 1, zone 2 or zone 3)is checked. The process also checks whether or not a lock is set withregard to avoiding having the tether pay out, which may be undesirablein certain situations, such as near a roadside. The process thenproceeds to step S7 where the processor makes an inquiry whether thecount value “c” is less than a predetermined value X. Once again thecount value corresponds to a distance from the PETS to the pet. If theresponse to the inquiry in step S7 is negative, the process proceeds toset S9 where the value of the lookup table for that particular countvalue is checked and a signal is sent in step S11 to the apply thebrakes and sound the audible alarm according to the value of the lookuptable that corresponds with the distance. However if the response to theinquiry in step S7 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S13where another comparison is made regarding the count value being above apredetermined amount Y. Also the rate of change is checked. If theresponse is negative, the process returns to step S1. However if theresponse is affirmative, the PETS 2 blocks further pay out of the tether3 in step S15 and sounds an alarm. The process then proceeds to step S17where the distance is checked to be above a certain predetermined amountZ. If that distance is greater than the predetermined amount, theprocess returns to step S15 where the pay out is blocked. However if thedistance is not greater than the amount Z, the process then proceeds tostep S19 where the lock on the pay out is released and then the processreturns to step S1.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary data structure for a lookup table, which isbroken into three different zones. In zone 1, if it is determined thatthe pay out rate is in a positive direction and the distance is between0 and 5 feet, then an indication is given that either the lock mechanismis applied or the brakes are applied by a certain amount. The lookuptable in FIG. 10 is populated with values according to the charts shownin FIGS. 11, 12 and 13.

As shown in FIG. 11, if the pay out rate is at a maximum amount in thenegative direction (meaning that the dog is quickly moving towards thebicycle when the dog is in zone 1, and the distance is a short distancesuch as 5 feet or less, then the processor indicates that a full brakingforce is to be applied. (A corresponding audible alarm and shockingcurrent are optional produced as well). However if the dog's distance isfarther such as between 5 feet and 15 feet, the brakes are applied athalf power. If the dog is at a farther distance such as between 15 feetand the maximum distance of the tether of 25 feet, the brakes areapplied at a quarter power. The amount of braking force is controlled bya number of pulses set to front or real wheel stepper motors, which inturn convert the motor's motion into a pitching the brake calipers.

If the pay out rate in the negative direction is between two-thirds andone-third, and the distance from the bicycle is between 0 feet and 5feet, than the brakes are applied at half power. The brakes are appliedat a quarter power if in the same region but the dog is at a fartherdistance such as the beyond 5 feet relative to the bicycle. In thiscase, the brakes are applied at quarter power. On the other hand, whilethe dog is in zone 1, and the pay out rate is in the positive direction,a braking force is applied to the retractable spool when the pay outrate is between two-thirds and maximum pay out rate and the dog isbetween 0 feet and 15 feet from the bicycle. In this case, greatertension is placed on the dog as the dog pulls on the PETS 2. A greaterbraking force is applied to the retractable spool when the dog isfarther from the bicycle as shown. At the maximum distance a lock isplaced to avoid the dog moving any farther from the bicycle or damagingthe retractable spool.

FIG. 12 shows a different arrangement, where the dog is positioned nextto the bicycle, and presumably will not run directly into the bicycle.Therefore, when the dog is in zone 2 and the dog is running at fullcharge towards the bicycle, only then will the brakes be applied for ashort distance as shown. Likewise, the pay out rate for the tether isapplied at half power when the pay out rate is at a maximum rate, andthe dog is about 15 feet or greater from the bicycle. This will helpavoid the bicycle becoming unstable when the dog pulls strongly on thebicycle. PETS 2 operates on the principle that when the dog is in zone2, both the dog and the bicyclist are in a more safe position than whenthe dog is in zone 1.

FIG. 13 includes another chart having values for braking associated withthe dog being behind the bicycle. In this case, there is really no riskthat the dog will run into the bicycle, the only risk is that thebicycle may violently yank on the dog if the dog chooses to stop. Thiswould materialize when the PETS detects that the pay out rate is at amaximum in the positive direction, and the distance from the bicycle tothe dog is at a maximum rate. In this case, an alarm is sounded and thebraking force is applied fully. When the dog is closer to the bicycle,the brakes are applied at half power or quarter power, depending on howfar the dog is from the bicycle.

FIG. 14 illustrates a computer system 1201 upon which an embodiment ofthe present invention may be implemented. The computer system 1201includes a bus 1202 or other communication mechanism for communicatinginformation, and a processor 1203 coupled with the bus 1202 forprocessing the information. The computer system 1201 also includes amain memory 1204, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamicstorage device (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), andsynchronous DRAM (SDRAM)), coupled to the bus 1202 for storinginformation and instructions to be executed by processor 1203. Inaddition, the main memory 1204 may be used for storing temporaryvariables or other intermediate information during the execution ofinstructions by the processor 1203. The computer system 1201 furtherincludes a read only memory (ROM) 1205 or other static storage device(e.g., programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), and electricallyerasable PROM (EEPROM)) coupled to the bus 1202 for storing staticinformation and instructions for the processor 1203.

The computer system 1201 also includes a disk controller 1206 coupled tothe bus 1202 to control one or more storage devices for storinginformation and instructions, such as a magnetic hard disk 1207, and aremovable media drive 1208 (e.g., floppy disk drive, read-only compactdisc drive, read/write compact disc drive, compact disc jukebox, tapedrive, and removable magneto-optical drive). Not all of these devicesare needed, or even helpful when PETS is deployed on a bicycle. However,they may be helpful when adjusting storage values, which is a way foradapting PETS 2 for a particular user. The storage devices may be addedto the computer system 1201 using an appropriate device interface (e.g.,small computer system interface (SCSI), integrated device electronics(IDE), enhanced-IDE (E-IDE), direct memory access (DMA), or ultra-DMA).

The computer system 1201 may also include special purpose logic devices(e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) or configurablelogic devices (e.g., simple programmable logic devices (SPLDs), complexprogrammable logic devices (CPLDs), and field programmable gate arrays(FPGAs)).

The computer system 1201 may also include a display controller 1209coupled to the bus 1202 to control a display 1210, such as a cathode raytube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD), for displaying informationto a computer user. The computer system includes input devices, such asa keyboard 1211 and a pointing device 1212, for interacting with acomputer user and providing information to the processor 1203. Thepointing device 1212, for example, may be a mouse, a trackball, a fingerfor a touch screen sensor, or a pointing stick for communicatingdirection information and command selections to the processor 1203 andfor controlling cursor movement on the display 1210. In addition, aprinter may provide printed listings of data stored and/or generated bythe computer system 1201.

The computer system 1201 performs a portion or all of the processingsteps of the invention in response to the processor 1203 executing oneor more sequences of one or more instructions contained in a memory,such as the main memory 1204. Such instructions may be read into themain memory 1204 from another computer readable medium, such as a harddisk 1207 or a removable media drive 1208. One or more processors in amulti-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute thesequences of instructions contained in main memory 1204. In alternativeembodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or incombination with software instructions. Thus, embodiments are notlimited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

As stated above, the computer system 1201 includes at least one computerreadable medium or memory for holding instructions programmed accordingto the teachings of the invention and for containing data structures,tables, records, or other data described herein. Examples of computerreadable media are compact discs, hard disks, floppy disks, tape,magneto-optical disks, PROMs (EPROM, EEPROM, flash EPROM), DRAM, SRAM,SDRAM, or any other magnetic medium, compact discs (e.g., CD-ROM), orany other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, or other physicalmedium with patterns of holes, a carrier wave (described below), or anyother medium from which a computer can read.

Stored on any one or on a combination of computer readable media, thepresent invention includes software for controlling the computer system1201, for driving a device or devices for implementing the invention,and for enabling the computer system 1201 to interact with a human user(e.g., print production personnel). Such software may include, but isnot limited to, device drivers, operating systems, development tools,and applications software. Such computer readable media further includesthe computer program product of the present invention for performing allor a portion (if processing is distributed) of the processing performedin implementing the invention.

The computer code devices of the present invention may be anyinterpretable or executable code mechanism, including but not limited toscripts, interpretable programs, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), Javaclasses, and complete executable programs. Moreover, parts of theprocessing of the present invention may be distributed for betterperformance, reliability, and/or cost.

The term “computer readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat participates in providing instructions to the processor 1203 forexecution. A computer readable medium may take many forms, including butnot limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmissionmedia. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical, magneticdisks, and magneto-optical disks, such as the hard disk 1207 or theremovable media drive 1208. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, suchas the main memory 1204.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying outone or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 1203 forexecution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on amagnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load theinstructions for implementing all or a portion of the present inventionremotely into a dynamic memory and send the instructions over atelephone line using a modem. A modem local to the computer system 1201may receive the data on the telephone line and use an infraredtransmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal. An infrareddetector coupled to the bus 1202 can receive the data carried in theinfrared signal and place the data on the bus 1202. The bus 1202 carriesthe data to the main memory 1204, from which the processor 1203retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received bythe main memory 1204 may optionally be stored on storage device 1207 or1208 either before or after execution by processor 1203.

The computer system 1201 also includes a communication interface 1213coupled to the bus 1202. The communication interface 1213 provides atwo-way data communication coupling to a network link 1214 that isconnected to, for example, a local area network (LAN) 1215, or toanother communications network 1216 such as the Internet. For example,the communication interface 1213 may be a network interface card toattach to any packet switched LAN. As another example, the communicationinterface 1213 may be an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL)card, an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem toprovide a data communication connection to a corresponding type ofcommunications line. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any suchimplementation, the communication interface 1213 sends and receiveselectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital datastreams representing various types of information.

The network link 1214 typically provides data communication through oneor more networks to other data devices. For example, the network link1214 may provide a connection to another computer through a localnetwork 1215 (e.g., a LAN) or through equipment operated by a serviceprovider, which provides communication services through a communicationsnetwork 1216. The local network 1214 and the communications network 1216use, for example, electrical, electromagnetic, or optical signals thatcarry digital data streams, and the associated physical layer (e.g., CAT5 cable, coaxial cable, optical fiber, etc). The signals through thevarious networks and the signals on the network link 1214 and throughthe communication interface 1213, which carry the digital data to andfrom the computer system 1201 maybe implemented in baseband signals, orcarrier wave based signals. The baseband signals convey the digital dataas unmodulated electrical pulses that are descriptive of a stream ofdigital data bits, where the term “bits” is to be construed broadly tomean symbol, where each symbol conveys at least one or more informationbits. The digital data may also be used to modulate a carrier wave, suchas with amplitude, phase and/or frequency shift keyed signals that arepropagated over a conductive media, or transmitted as electromagneticwaves through a propagation medium. Thus, the digital data may be sentas unmodulated baseband data through a “wired” communication channeland/or sent within a predetermined frequency band, different thanbaseband, by modulating a carrier wave. The computer system 1201 cantransmit and receive data, including program code, through thenetwork(s) 1215 and 1216, the network link 1214 and the communicationinterface 1213. Moreover, the network link 1214 may provide a connectionthrough a LAN 1215 to a mobile device 1217 such as a personal digitalassistant (PDA) laptop computer, or cellular telephone

FIG. 15 shown an alternative embodiment to that described in FIGS. 4 and5 for detecting an azimuthal position of the dog in a predeterminednumber of zones, from 2 to 10. The embodiment shown includes a hingedoutlet 201 that pivots about a vertical axis when moved by a lateralforce imparted by the tether 3 when the dog moves azimuthally about thebicycle in different zones. When the tether 3 is urged in a clockwisedirection by the dog moving in a clockwise direction relative to thebicycle, a pole 203 breaks contact with a zone 1 contact 205, androtates to a position where it makes physical contact with a zone 2contact 207. If the dog moves further in a clockwise direction, such asbehind the bicycle, the dog will be positioned in zone 3, and themovement by the dog will cause the pole to make contact with the zone 3contact 209. Each of the contacts permit electronic sensing by aprocessor (CPU) 220, or other detector, so as to provide a signal onseparate signal lines (or alternative different, distinguishablesignals, on a common line) so as to provide a mechanism and method fordetecting the azimuthal position of the dog relative to the bicycle. Forsimplicity only three zones are shown on one side of the bicycle.However, the hinged outlet could also pivot over a greater range suchthat the azimuthal position of the dog may be detected on the other sideof the bicycle as well to provide full coverage over 360 degrees.

While three zones are shown, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 zones, forexample, may be employed, but this is merely illustrative, and a greaternumber of zones may be uses, depending on the azimuthal resolutiondesired. Furthermore, the size (surface contact area) and spacing of thedifferent zone contacts may be varied according to the relative size ofeach zone. For example, zone 1 may cover only a 30 degree range, butzone 2 is made to cover 120 degrees, and zone 3, 30 degrees. In anexemplary embodiment, the zones may be made to vary from 10 degrees to180 degrees.

The hinged outlet could also have the hinge pin oriented vertically,such that the outlet moves in a horizontal direction, much like themotion of a rotating lawn sprinkler.

The above described embodiments of the invention are meant toillustrative and not an exhaustive description of all possible variantsof the present invention. As such, it should be understood that thepresent invention covers options, variations, and combinations offeatures described herein and others as would be understood based on thepresent teachings by one of ordinary skill in the art.

1. A vehicle-mountable tethering mechanism with automatic vehiclebraking control features comprising: a retractable spool mountable to avehicle and having a tether that pays out when a pulling force isapplied to the tether, and retracts when the pulling force is removed;the tether that includes a plurality of counting indications disposed atpredetermined positions on the tether, said tether having a free endconfigured to detachably attach to a dog collar or dog harness; acounter that counts the counting indicators as the counting indicatorspass by the counter when the tether is paying out or retracting; a rateof change detector that determines rate of change of the tether as a payout rate or retraction rate of the end portion of the tether relative toa moving vehicle, a time period between counting indicators passing bythe counter being indicative of a rate of change; an electrical powersource; a brake actuator configured to actuate brakes on the vehicle tocontrollable slow the vehicle by predetermined amount; a computerreadable storage device that has stored therein braking levels thatcorrespond with and a tether deployment amount and rate of change; and aprocessor configured to retrieve from the storage device a braking levelcorresponding to the tether deployment amount and the rate of change,and control the breaking actuator to apply the breaking level to thebrakes if the determined tether deployment is less than a predeterminedamount and the rate of change is greater than a predetermined amount. 2.The vehicle-mountable tethering mechanism according to claim 1, furthercomprising: a zone detector that detects a positional zone in which thedog is located relative to the bicycle, said positional zone being oneof a plurality of zones, and wherein the processor retrieves a differentbraking level depending on the positional zone detected by the zonedetector.
 3. The vehicle-mountable tethering mechanism according toclaim 2, further comprising: an audible alarm; and a electrical stimulusdevice, wherein when the processor determines that dog is located in apredetermined zone and the tether deployment amount and rate of changeare within a predetermined range, the audible alarm produces a noise andthe stimulus devices applies an electrical stimulus to the dog as awarning.
 4. The vehicle-mountable tethering mechanism according to claim3, wherein, the audible alarm is activated a predetermined amount oftime prior to the electrical stimulus device generating the electricalstimulus so as to provide the dog with an amount of time to takecorrective action before receiving the electrical stimulus.
 5. Thevehicle-mountable tethering mechanism according to claim 3, wherein theaudible alarm produces a plurality of sounds, each of the plurality ofsounds corresponding to a different braking level.
 6. Thevehicle-mountable tethering mechanism according to claim 2, wherein: thezone detector includes a hinged outlet that rotates to follows a motionof a dog from zone to zone, and a pole that makes contact withrespective of a plurality of contacts to detect one of the plurality ofzones depending on the rotational position of the hinged outlet.
 7. Thevehicle-mountable tethering mechanism according to claim 1, wherein thevehicle is a bicycle.
 8. The vehicle-mountable tethering mechanismaccording to claim 1, wherein: the vehicle is an in-line skate.
 9. Thevehicle-mountable tethering mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: thebrake actuator includes a plunger mechanism that applies a stoppingforce to a brake on the in-line skate.
 10. The vehicle-mountabletethering mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the computer readablestorage device stores respective a common breaking level for a tetherdeployment amount in a first range, and a rate of change in a secondrange.
 11. The vehicle-mountable tethering mechanism according to claim1, wherein the retractable spool includes a payout break that increasesa resistance for paying out the tether as a function of payout breakingforce for applied to the payout break.
 12. The vehicle-mountabletethering mechanism according to claim 11, further comprising: a zonedetector that detects a positional zone in which the dog is locatedrelative to the bicycle, said positional zone being one of a pluralityof zones, and wherein the processor retrieves a different payout forceamount to be applied to the payout break depending on the positionalzone detected by the zone detector, the tether deployment amount andrate of change.
 13. A computer implemented method for automaticallycontrolling vehicle braking comprising: attaching a retractable spoolmountable to a vehicle, said retractable spool including a tether thatpays out when a pulling force is applied to the tether, and retractswhen the pulling force is removed, the tether includes a plurality ofcounting indications disposed at predetermined positions on the tether;attaching a free end of the tether to a dog collar or dog harness;moving the vehicle in a forward direction; paying out or retracting thetether as the dog moves relative to the vehicle; counting the countingindicators as the counting indicators pass by the counter; determining arate of change of the tether as a pay out rate or retraction rate of theend portion of the tether relative to a moving vehicle, a time periodbetween counting indicators passing by the counter being indicative of arate of change; retrieving from a storage device a braking level thatcorrespond with and a tether deployment amount and rate of change; andapplying to a breaking actuator the breaking level retrieved in theretrieving step.
 14. The method according to claim 13, furthercomprising: detecting a positional zone in which the dog is locatedrelative to the bicycle, said positional zone being one of a pluralityof zones; and retrieving a different braking level depending on thepositional zone detected in the detecting step.
 15. The method accordingto claim 14, further comprising: after detecting that the dog is locatedin a predetermined zone and the tether deployment amount and rate ofchange are within a predetermined range, producing an audible alarm andapplying an electrical stimulus to the dog as a warning.
 16. The methodaccording to claim 15, wherein, the audible alarm is produced apredetermined amount of time prior to applying the electrical stimulus.17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the producing the audiblealarm step includes producing produces a plurality of sounds, each ofthe plurality of sounds corresponding to a different braking level. 18.The method according to claim 14, wherein: the detecting a position zonestep includes following a motion of the dog with a hinged outlet; andmaking electrical contact with respective of a plurality of contacts todetect one of the plurality of zones depending on a rotational positionof the hinged outlet.
 19. The method according to claim 13, wherein thestep of attaching the retractable spool includes attaching theretractable spool to a bicycle.
 20. The method according to claim 13,wherein the step of attaching the retractable spool includes attachingthe retractable spool to an in-line skate.